We’re into the final weeks of the 2024/25 season and there’s plenty still to play for at both ends of the Combined Counties League Premier Division North.
Burnham and Holyport are in the play-off places with three games each to play while Berks County face an anxious wait to find out if they’ve done enough to preserve their Step 5 status.
The Swords completed their 38 game season on Saturday with a 3-3 draw at home to Wallingford & Crowmarsh and are three points clear of the drop zone, but.. with two going down, Edgware & Kingsbury and Risborough Rangers both still have games to play.
Edgware have three to go and one win would mark them as safe, while Risborough have two and need four points to guarantee survival although one win might be enough if they can keep the goal difference below County.
Ellis Day, Joshua Dunkley and George Weston-Brown scored the goals to earn a valuable point as Lee Simpson’s side came from behind twice before leading in the 81st minute, only to concede the equaliser in injury time.
Reading City and Wokingham Town will go in to their final games safe in the knowledge they’ll go again at Step 5 next season, but both will want to build on what has been a difficult of a season at times.
At the top end of the table it is Burnham and Holyport who hold the cards in terms of promotion excitement. Virginia Water’s play-off challenge is mathematically over with one game to play but the Blues and Port are the teams in possession of the third and fourth play-off spots.
Harefield United, with three games in hand will almost certainly leapfrog one of the two sides and North Greenford United retain an outside shot.
If Burnham and Holyport win all three of their final games, Harefield will need just four points to earn a play-off spot so it’ll come down to goal difference, and at the moment it is Burnham with a +12 advantage over their Berkshire rivals.
Final three fixtures for Holyport and Burnham:
Holyport
- Wallingford & Crowmarsh (A) – Tuesday 8th April
- Milton United (A) – Tuesday 15th April
- Harefield United (A) – Saturday 19th April
Burnham
- Ardley United (A) – Saturday 5th April
- North Greenford United (A) – Tuesday 15th April
- Reading City (A) – Saturday 19th April
Combined Counties League Premier Division South
Sandhurst Town will almost certainly be playing Step 5 football for a third successive season. This is providing they can pick up three points from one of their final four games of 2024/25.
There won’t be 10 games in 10 days for The Fizzers this time around, but four in two and a half weeks seems manageable for Adam Barnard’s side who are a point above the drop zone.
Crucially for Barnard’s men, the team in 19th are Balham who have one game left against mid-table Sheerwater. Frustratingly that tie won’t happen until the final day of the season on 19th April, but three points in any of the games against Guildford City, Camberley Town, Horley Town or Jersey Bulls will see them safe before then.
Tadley Calleva have seemingly been on the verge of a play-off spot all season, and that hasn’t changed with three to play.
Fleet Town remain in their way and have two games in hand over the Romans and the game on the final day of the season against Knaphill could well be the crucial one.
Where might Fleet drop points then? Well they’ve games against FA Vase Semi-Finalists AFC Whyteleafe and fellow play-off hopefuls Cobham to come but it’s going to need maximum points from Tadley to take advantage.
